Train Your Brain Therapy Solutions

02/21/2025

This one sentence emerged after reviewing dozens of studies on how developmental resilience is constructed. It's about relationships.

02/21/2025

😆

06/14/2024

Someone recently told me, “Ugh, I know that the 3yos in my preschool class are supposed to be wiggly and playful and loud and silly. But I know that they’ll have higher expectations in the 4yos class next year. I’m always torn between letting them be themselves, and trying to prepare them for what will be expected of them next school year so it’s hopefully not so much of a shock to them.”

A lot of parents and caregivers feel this "but I have to prepare them for the future" pressure, and I always encourage them to ignore that voice as much as humanly possible for two reasons:

First, subjecting a kid to developmentally inappropriate expectations early does not actually make them better at meeting developmentally inappropriate expectations later on.

And second, because when you're a kid, even a small amount of time may have massive amounts of developmental changes in it.

Parents will be like, "I need to try to teach my kid to write before kindergarten, it's already May, they start in September and they don't know how to write." No, that's four months away! Four months is very nearly 1/10 of their entire lifespan! A massive amount of developmental change can happen in 1/10 of your lifespan!

They are three, four, five! Let them be who they are now. Let them work on what they’re working on now. Don’t preemptively try to crush them into a mold you’re worried the future has for them.

Let the problems of September be the problems of September -- you can't fix the problems of the future now. Give them what they need now.

[Image description: A picture of two speech bubbles, one labeled "Q" and one labeled "A" with question and answer on them that read, "Do I prepare them for the future even if it means they don't get what they need now?" "You can best prepare them for the future by giving them what they need now!" There are little sparkles and doodles on the image to make it cutesy, with a teal, pink, and yellow color palette. My handle, , is also on the image. End description.]

05/15/2024

Re-posting because we need to continue the conversation about sensory safety and shift our thinking from talking about "low functioning" human beings, to low functioning environments!

A child can't be regulated if they don't feel safe.

If a child's sensory environment is distracting, overwhelming or underwhelming, they won't be able to function at their highest level of ability. We hear the term "low functioning" a lot when talking about autistic children, but before we just start labeling the child, we have to look at the environment. Is the environment "low functioning"? I first heard the term "low functioning environment" from Dr. Kristie Patten, Associate Professor and Chair at New York University, Department of Occupational Therapy when she presented at the NJOTA Annual Conference in 2022.

I have seen MANY kids labeled "low functioning" thrive in a "high functioning" environment. High functioning environments meet their sensory needs and allows them show us what they know and feel safe to try new things.

Is a child struggling in their classroom? It might be a low functioning environment for them!

In order to create a high functioning environment, we must look at the sensory environment. The Sensory Safe Environment Checklist, although not an exhaustive list, is a helpful resource to start looking at a child's sensory environment, especially in school, to determine what supports they might need to feel safe, regulated, participate, and do well. Kids can be set up for success in a sensory safe environment.

This infographic is available for FREE in PDF format at www.gregsantucci.com

L.A.S.T. Call (Like And Share This) so we can create sensory safe learning environments for our kids! The website is listed on the infographic, but please tag this page when you share! Thanks!

05/07/2024

🌟 Hey everyone! 🌟 Our team at ATTACh is thrilled to invite you to the 2024 Conference! As steering committee members, we’re passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families affected by trauma and attachment challenges. That’s why we’re so excited to share this transformative event with you. Join us for three days of learning, connection, and inspiration. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, therapist, educator, or anyone who works with children, this conference is for you! Let’s come together to foster collaboration, fuel change, and create a brighter future. See you there!

https://attach.org/2024-conference/

05/06/2024

I had an awesome chat with an elementary school teacher recently.

Struggling with "behaviors", we had a long talk about the problems with 'behavior management' systems (clip charts, token boards, etc). She was listening, and somewhat taken back that something that's been used in schools for so long could get such push back.

The defense? There was a "positive" component to these systems. You could "earn" things, so the assumption was that the kids liked them.

I encouraged her to actually ask the kids. Not just "do you like the chart", but take a deeper dive. Ask how it makes them feel.

She did, and she reported back.

She shared "I had no idea how much the kids HATE them! I mean, they loathe them!"

There was a clear theme that the kids thought they were unfair. They're right! The charts are subjective and unfair. This is literally going to be a whole chapter in my book! It probably could be its own book, or novel, or encyclopedia set.

Down came the chart. 😁

It was replaced by collaboration. This involved the teacher acknowledging when kids are having a hard time, her expressing her concerns and expectations, and together, as a community, coming up with solutions that met everyone's needs.

She ackowledged that the kids had a lot of ideas!

She was completely sold, and 'never going back' to behavior management systems. 😁

We can get there!

It takes courage to put aside 'what we've always done' and a lot of grace as we realize that what we've done in the past wasn't the healthiest. However, we are committed to doing better with new information, and that's fantastic! It also takes a whole lot of LISTENING to our kids, and understanding that the best solutions are not unilateral. You must have buy-in from all parties in order to make durable changes.

This teacher gets a sticker, clipped up, a dojo point, extra recess, bonus choice time, double the pom poms, a fistful of class bucks, a roll of tokens and a giant 'good job'.

Nah. None of that's necessary. She has an amazing connection with her students and a new admiration for them. What's better than that?

❤

05/06/2024

03/29/2024

Today is Purple Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about epilepsy and supporting the 50 million people around the world affected by this neurological condition. It was initiated in 2008 by Cassidy Megan from Nova Scotia, Canada, who wanted to dispel myths and combat the stigma around epilepsy.

Epilepsy can be a challenging condition to live with, but it's important to know that it's treatable with proper support. Unfortunately, many people still hold misconceptions about epilepsy, which can make it difficult for those affected to feel understood and empowered.

That's why Purple Day is so important. It's an opportunity for us to learn more about epilepsy, show our support, and work together to break down the barriers that prevent people from accessing the information and treatment they need.

If you're wondering how you can support this cause, there are many things you can do!
You can:
Join the Purple Day movement! Wear purple today and show your support.
Learn more about epilepsy! Knowledge is power! Educate yourself and others. https://www.epilepsy.com/what-is-epilepsy
Volunteer at a fundraising event! Give back to organizations like the Epilepsy Foundation. https://www.epilepsy.com/volunteer/fundraising/purple-pumpkin-project
Donate to research to cure epilepsy! Help find a cure for the future.
Speak up and break the stigma! If you or someone you know has epilepsy, share your story and help create understanding.
Know the signs of a seizure and what to do! Being prepared can make a difference. https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/about/first-aid.htm
https://www.healthline.com/health/warning-signs-of-a-seizure
Use or on social media! Spread the word and raise awareness.

Together, let's create a world where everyone with epilepsy feels understood and empowered!

03/25/2024

Our first podcast series kicks off with an interview with acclaimed psychotherapist Esther Perel. The topic for this first series is “Living Beyond Human Scale: The Possibilities, the Costs, and the Role of Community.” This series will be unique in that it crosses over between Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead, with discussions ranging from mental health and social media to readying a workforce (and a bunch of anxious humans) for AI.

Also, rather than dropping two podcasts every week, I’ll be recording short series of 3-4 thematic podcasts that will drop several times over the course of the year. You can now listen to the new podcasts and our entire library anywhere you listen to podcasts — we’re no longer exclusive to one platform.

I’d love to know what you think about the convo and any other questions you have around staying connected while living beyond human scale. Podcast comments are open on brenebrown.com ❤️

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unlocking-us-with-bren%C3%A9-brown/id1494350511?i=1000649832472

03/04/2024

A paediatric psychologist in the US, her work is not directly about neurodivergence, but when we started working on this issue, she was one of the first contributors we knew we needed to feature.

03/01/2024

Co-regulating helps kids learn how to handle their emotions as they grow up and those kids are more likely to be resilient, psychologist says.

10/19/2023

An English teacher co-teaching trigonometry asked students to explain an equation to a child and to turn discrete problems into a story.